Lymphatic System Disorders
Suggested learning activity
Case study on disorders of the lymphatic system. Suitable examples
include the effect of kwashiorkor on fluid balance and elephantiasis
Oedema
Oedema is the condition where tissue fluid accumulates, in the spaces
between cells and blood capillaries, causing tissues to swell up
Oedema can be caused by high blood pressure, malnutrition and
parasites
High blood pressure –
Can result in tissue fluid being produced at a faster rate than is drained
away by the lymphatic system
Kwashiorkor
Deficiency of protein can result in the plasma protein being so low that
it is the same concentration as the tissue fluid
Little or no tissue fluid is returned to the blood by osmosis
The lymphatic system is unable to remove the extra fluid
It gathers in the abdomen
An abdomen swollen in this way is a symptom of Kwashiorkor
This condition is a severe form of malnutrition, suffered by young
children
Elephantiasis
Larvae of a type of parasitic worm are transmitted by mosquitoes
They invade the lymphatic system
Mature worms block lymph vessels, especially in the legs
This obstruction leads to elephantiasis